Sacrifice
by Lillythemarshmellowqueen
Summary: We make Sacrifices for the ones we love don't we? some ryouIchigoness total angst! *woot*


**Sacrifice **

A buzzing filled the air. An electric tension that sent chills of fear down Mew Ichigo's spine. She found her self on her knees clutching onto the boy she had pledged her life to. When the mist cleared she realized she was now on the ground.

"Masaya..." the tears couldn't help but burst out of her eyes. She let go of him and watched as his limp form fell to the dusty ground. A quivering sob escaped her throat.

Deep Blue was gone but so was the Blue night. And Masaya Aoyama had left her too.

The buzzing continued and the distraught girl looked up. Her dark pink eyes widened in shock. Above her, glowing an electric blue was a growing ball of energy. Deep Blue's last gift. A perpetual time bomb that would destroy the world she strove so hard to save.

With her heart in her throat she looked around. The sight of the monstrosity above sent tremors of energy through her. She had to find the others! She had to warn them! They had to stop this together.

She began running.

Together.

Weren't they always supposed to be together. But he left her. He sacrificed himself just to save her. Now she had to save everyone else.

She tripped.

"Ah!" landing on the ground, knees bleeding she looked around.

Her heart stopped.

Through the mist she saw his body.

Kishu.

His eyes were closed, the gash visible in his chest. It was him she'd fell over.

"No." was all that escaped her before she was running away once more. But no matter how she tried it was impossible to erase his broken form from her mind.

Then the mist in front of her cleared and she saw them all.

With a cry of horror she came to a stop.

Dead.

They were all dead.

Pai, Retasu, Zakuro.

Minto.

Tarto, Purin.

Purin?!

The small girl was stirring.

Mew Ichigo ran over to her.

Falling to her knees she held the young girl.

"Purin.. Purin.." her voice came out broken.

"Ichigo-Onee-chan..?" the blonde girl looked up tears pouring out of her eyes. Ichigo couldn't help the tears that leaked out her own eyes.

"It hurts..." whimpered Purin.

"I know.. I know.." Ichigo pulled Purin close and hugged her. Watching the rest of her team mates through tears. They had all fallen from a height it seemed. Injuries visible, Retasu was on her back while Minto was curled up on her side, scratches bleeding. Zakuro wasn't in any better condition nor were the aliens.

_'They gave me their last strength...'_

She thought miserably.

Purin pulled away as she began coughing.

Some thing splattered onto the ground.

Blood.

"Purin..?"

The said girl continued coughing up more of the blood.

Ichigo held on tighter to the small girl's form as the convulsions from her internal bleeding moved through her.

At last Purin stilled and her breathing stopped as a last breath of air left her.

Ichigo put Purin down.

She stood up.

What was the point. Those who she wanted to save were gone now, she had no will to continue. But still she stood up and turning around walked blindly into the mist.

Deep Blue hiding behind the mask of Masaya had pitted the aliens and mews against each other. He was gone now but so were her friends. Her legs began to feel like dead weights. Why couldn't she just fall down and give up. But just as the thought crossed her mind instead of slowing down her legs sped up. She began running. Trying to just run away from it all. The pain, the loss, that wide bleeding hole in her chest that was growing wider causing a multitude of tears to cascade down her cheeks. But she was running for another reason. To find something or a someone. It was in the back of her mind, someone was missing. It was only when she found him that the thought made itself clear. He had been there too, helping, protecting as always, and now he had paid the ultimate price.

Once more Ichigo fell to her knees and held out a shaking hand to him.

Ryou lay face down, bruises and scratches evident from the battle. She reached and turned him over. A cut was bleeding on his cheek. A strangled sob escaped her lips.

How could this be happening? Why was he doing this to her? Wasn't seeing them all like that enough. But seeing _him_ like this it just broke her heart into a million pieces. And then he opened his eyes and all those pieces were put back together again.

"Hey.. Strawberry... Looks like you don't need me to protect you after all..."

She gasped and flung her arms around him.

"Don't say that! I do need you!" she cried.

Ryou looked up at the growing energy bomb.

"Ichigo you need the others to help you with that.."

"Shirogane! Their- their all dead..."

"All.. Dead?" he whispered.

"Purin... She-she died in m-my arms..." saying this the cat girl looked at her hands miserably, reflecting on her uselessness.

"I'm sorry- Ichigo... I guess we just couldn't save the world then." he rasped.

He held her hand, though his grip was faint.

"Shi-Shirogane... No not you too..."

His breathing had gotten heavier as he closed his eyes.

" Sorry... Strawberry..."

"No Ryou! Please not you! You can't give up!" she screamed over the buzzing. She put her head down on his chest and began to cry. Each sob hurt worse than the last.

His hand came up to her head. He patted it slightly saying "But now Strawberry no one will force you to work or tease you?"

"But I want you to tease me..." she mumbled tears leaking out.

"Sorry Strawberry not gonna happen... Oh and I never did tell you... I love- you..."

She gasped eyes going wide.

Looking at him she said much louder.

"Shirogane? What do you mean?"

No response.

His hands slipped from hers.

"Shirogane...?" She held his shirt collar and shook him.

"Ryou!!"

But he didn't say a thing, he didn't open his eyes.

Ichigo only held on tighter to him tears pouring out like waterfalls.

How many times could one person's heart break? Once? Twice?

Ryou Shirogane that brought that number to a total of three times. Why was this happening? It wasn't fair! Just as she'd found him... Had he really said that?

She looked at him. She would never see those teal eyes again? How could _he _go? He had always been there from day one and even now when the others had left her, _he _had been there.

But he wasn't breathing. Ryou Shirogane was dead.

The fact sent a wave of coldness over her. They were all gone. How could she live on?

Then it came to her. She couldn't live on. They had all sacrificed their lives for her now she had too do the same.

Her tears had splashed across his face. She wiped them away but realized that she only mixed them with the blood. Using her thumbs she held his face and tried to clear away the blood and tears. But more tears kept falling from her eyes onto his cheeks. Like wet reminders of all those things left unsaid. She stopped trying to wipe his face and with a shrug moved back , just letting the tears fall.

Biting her bottom lip and clenching her hand she stood up.

"Strawberry Bell." was the whisper that escaped her cracked lips.

Staring down at Ryou once more, she blinked shedding the last of her tears.

She held up her weapon over her head pointed straight at the energy bomb. Summoning up every bit of her own energy she pulled air into her lungs. With it came memories. Of happy times, sad times, being together through thick and thin. Working together with her team mates.. Her friends. Heck! Even fighting with Kishu! Her house, her parents. School and her laughter filled life. It was so precious and she didn't want to give it up.

Words came into her mind. Then she yelled "RIBBON STRAWBERRY SACRED HEART!!"

She didn't want to give up her life but she did, so a girl somewhere out there in that big world she saved could have_ her_ forehead flicked by her boss. So _she _could bee happy and live a normal life.

Mew Ichigo while still on the ground rose. Up into the air and then through the outer skin of the bomb until she came to rest in the middle. There she began to twirl, spin. Destroying it from the inside. The ball of energy collapsed upon it self. The light that emitted from this small explosion was immense.

_Ichigo was walking through the light. A small black cat was walking beside her. Because there was nothing but light to look at she stared at this cat. It seemed the were going somewhere... But where._

_Then another cat appeared, a gray car. The two cats met each other and Ichigo felt a joy like never before. There was some one beside the gray cat she looked up to see beautiful blue eyes._

_'Took you long enough to get here Strawberry..." he said._

_'Hurry up Ichigo I have to get my tea!'_

_'Onee-chan came na da!!"_

_There were more animals behind him. More people in that bright white light. Ichigo could just stay forever._

As the bomb exploded in on its self another form exploded inside. The spirit of Mew Ichigo which had been inside the glowing blue ball at the time. Down on the ground her body fell to her knees and then slumped forward. She landed across Ryou. Her wide lifeless pink eyes stared unseeingly at his face, as if noting the blood and tears splattered there. Then they closed and a last cold breath of air left her.

After the death of everyone she held dear, Ichigo Momomiya sacrificed herself for the sake of this world we live in. Essentially humans can be considered selfish, greedy creatures. But they still have an infinite capacity to love. Love, although 'it makes the world go round' it is also the reason for so much pain. Yet it is because of this love that we sacrifice for others. Because we are human we can't help but make mistakes, we can't help but love, we can't help but give up our lives for those we_ love._

_**Le Ende**_

**I know I know what an emo-fest. And totally sappy.. I know it's sad... (hands out Kleenex) but it had to be done...**

**Actually the idea kept bugging me after I learned about the death of a friend's parent. Not even a close friend... I hardly know her... I didn't even go to the funeral!! I've witnessed death though... Many times in my own family and out of it but just the suddenness with which I was informed about this... It just made me think about life... And death.**

**(sigh) I always did think TMM was a little too cheery... Plus it's IchigoXRyou!! Okay emo phase over!! Review!! And tell Lilly what you think!! And if you don't like the fact that its all angsty or RxI then you shouldn't bee reading this anyway!! **

**Laurry: Tokyo Mew Mew is not by any means the property of Lillith Black. This fanfic is Disclaimed. .**

**Soo yea.. Review Muchachos!! Bwahaha...or so help me I will track down where you live and stalk you till you doo!!**

**Cookies!! Bwahahahahagahagaha!!**


End file.
